The subject arises occasionally on how much things cost if you go private. I'm lucky to have private health care through work so after checking statements for the year I thought I would share the costs. Please I am not saying these are definitive just examples of what my insurance company have been charged for my appointments.
Consultancy
£170 to see the consultant
£81.88 ECG
Ablation
£1400 for the consultant to perform the ablation
Between £5k and £7k in theatre charges
£550 Anaesthetic
Plus hospital fees which depends how long you stay in etc
48 hour monitor
£319.95
Plus consultants fee when you go back for the results
Cardio version
£1227.50 (this figure is made up of a few charges including consultant and theatre charges)
£361 anaesthetic
Plus hospital fees depending how long you stay in etc
Like I said just trying to provide example costs for those interested.
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FyldeWhite
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Very Useful although I think you meant £14,000 for ablation not £1,400? As a generalisation "hotel costs" of a hospital would be around £500 per night I understand.
Hi Bob, just double checked and edited my post accordingly, the charges were on different statements but they are the costs checked against 3 ablation.
My recent MRI of my heart was £850, though I only went privately as there was a year + waiting list on NHS.
Having a dye test at end of month, but opted to go with NHS on that one as both waiting lists were the same, six months minimum.
Interesting. So all in all, total ablation cost about £10,000. That's what I was quoted although that was back in 2006.
I'm no expert on private health cover, but I believe insurance companies negotiate rates which are considerably cheaper than if treatment is self-funded.
I paid £467 for a CT scan of my lumbar spine and £1019 for a three part spinal and pelvic MRI.
When I inquired about a cardioversion two years ago it involved a pre and post consultant appointment at £175 a time and £1800 for hospital and doctors fee.
Wow. 1800 pounds for a few minutes work. It cost me less than 200 pounds in Tunisia. Consultation fees are 20 pounds ie initial visit + feedback visit after tests are done.
And there was probably VAT included. It beats me how the EU can justify taxing health.
Good to know the ball game price though, in case of urgent need.
Actually it was difficult to find a hospital that would do it and certainly not quickly.
One NHS hospital in Torquay was listed as doing it for private patients. At first they said that they would do it and then they said that they had not previously done one for a private patient and would prefer not to.
One in Ashford (Kent) was willing to do it but by then so much time had been wasted that I waited for the NHS appointment.
I was told by my my British Cardiologist, and I intend to get a letter to that effect, that in my case if AF restarted and I could not stop it with PIP etc, then I should go to any emergency unit and try to get a Cardioversion.
Makes you wonder if the quickest route would be for your spouse to do a first aid course in the use of a defibrillator, and DIY! Ouch, but probably no worse than a bad leg cramp. Please note, only wondering, I am NOT advocating it.
That's what I told the wife lol BUT a cardioversion machine times the shock on the QRS wave,if you did it with a normal defibrillator you most likely would stop the heart but then you could shock again & hope it restarts lol
After reading more,looks like defibrillators have a sync button for cardiovertion?
In my naivity I thought the defibrillator shocked on the T wave. I was trained to use one, and I forgot to ask if I could used it on an AF/flutter heart.
So would you recommend Tunisia for a cardioversion? I'm a brit living in Florida & don't have insurance, went into afib 16 feb,hospital quoted me $14000 for cardioversion,when I rang up to cancel they dropped price to 4200, thinking of comming to uk & pay private & see family but Tunisia sounds good
You would have to find an English speaking doctor who was willing to do it. Mine has refused to do another one saying it would only delay the inevitable. Many speak English, but the ones I know speak French. There are loads of cardiologists. Most of them are fairly independent types. There is now a health industry. French people for instance come to have tooth implants.
Come for at least two weeks. Most tourists go to coastal towns such as Sousse and I have no idea about health facilities there. pm me if you want more detail about Tunis.
On further reflection I would suggest you do your homework before trusting yourself to a system you do not know. It is OK to come here and get tests done, blood, scans etc because they are cheap, though the quality of the data interpretation can be low and people in Britain just do not like French;). I know many people who have done that. It is another thing to have an intervention. A friend of mine, her husband went in for a routine battery change in the pacemaker, and died, because the surgeon was not expecting problems and there was no emergency equipment available in that operating theatre. Make sure you choose the 'clinic' with available emergency and escalation facilities. Make sure your insurance could cover the escalation.
Thanks for the figures still waiting to see NHS consultant from last November I went to see Private Consultant that was £200 including ETG as I was not coping with drugs changed levels of Digoxin and put me on verapamil which has helped now in persistent AF I will need an ablation to get the quality of life How long will that be life is on hold till then May have to get 2nd mortgage for ablation
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